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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Slow Cooker "Melt in Your Mouth" Pot Roast

There's nothing quite like sitting down to a hearty, slow cooked dinner at day's end. And, it's even better when that dinner is pot roast with all the trimmings. This recipe has proven to produce thee best pot roast I've ever made. Every component is pure perfection. The meat is juicy and fall-apart tender. The vegetables are cooked just right and are full of flavor. The seasonings are simply spot on and the broth yields a fabulous gravy-like sauce that is divine when poured over everything prior to serving.

We usually have leftovers of this, so we often make hash the following day. The leftover roast is, also, fabulous utilized in a hot roast beef sandwich for lunch.

Coat both sides of meat with olive oil. Sprinkle on a third of the seasoning mix onto each side.

Sear both sides of the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer roast to slow cooker.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle on a little olive oil to coat vegetables. Sprinkle on the remaining seasoning mix. Add the vegetables to the same skillet that was used to sear the meat. Sauté for about five minutes - stirring occasionally.

Transfer the vegetables to the top of the roast in the slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth. Cover with lid.

Cook on low for 9 hours or on high for 6 hours.

Using a turkey baster, retrieve most of the cooking juices from the slow cooker. Transfer juices to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat on the stovetop. Whisk together the cornstarch with a little water. Blend into the pan juices while whisking. Bring back to a simmer until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Transfer the roast and vegetables to a large platter. Ladle the gravy over. Serve immediately.

ANGELA'S TIME-SAVING TIP:I usually prep my veggies the evening before so that I don't have to take the time to do this task in the morning. Simply store the peeled, cut carrots in a container or plastic baggie in the fridge. (Do the same for the onions and celery.) And, store the peeled and cut potatoes in the fridge - submerged in cold water in a large container. (Just drain off the water in the morning.) Also, the seasoning mix can be made the night before to save some time in the morning. And, for an extra boost of flavor and to save a little more time come morning, the beef can be seasoned the night before and stored in a large plastic baggie in the fridge.

Thank you! I have been looking for an alternative to the cream of mushroom soup and onion mix (which I do love). Someone mentioned the oven, which is great if you are home to watch it. I have energy in the mornings to prepare this, and coming home after work to a ready meal is heavenly! :)

Tracy - I just tested the button and you're right ... it isn't working right now. Hmmmm. I tested it on a couple of other posts and it seems to be out of commission entirely. I will have to do some checking as to what is going on with it, but I won't be able to get to it until tomorrow. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Hopefully, I will get things straightened out asap. :)Angela

Sorry, but with all the time and prep it takes for this, it just seems the old fashioned way (in the oven) would be the same time with more control over the outcome. Just the thoughts from and older person who's been cooking long before crock pots were around. There's nothing better than you controlling the outcome of your meal,

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I bet your pot roast is delicious. This is just a method that works great for my family since our days can get so busy. Coming home to dinner already done and waiting in the slow cooker is a real lifesaver sometimes for us ... and not having to be home to keep an eye on a roast in the oven works great for us. :)

This roast, despite the additional prep that I dont enjoy while making a crockpot meal seems very yummy and might try it. Although, I do agree if its going to have all of that prep you might as well do it in the oven. The crockpot meals I have enjoyed most only require me to have to clean one pot. . My crockpot :) i do know first hand searing the meat before hand gives it good flavor but if I am in a hurry with a busy day, the least prep is the best... i love roasts in yhe crockpot, you have less of a risk of it drying out... 3lb potroast, 1 stick undalted butter, packet ranch seasoning, packet au jus mix, 6 pepperocinni peppers, carrots and quartered red potatoes or for s thicker gravy, 3lb pot roast, 1 packet beef onion soup mix, 1 can cream of mushroom, baby carrots, quartered red potatoes... they are all just layered in... no major prep and no extra dirty dishes .. something to try if you dont like the prep.

I just almost always sear meats before putting them in the slow cooker ... for stews or pork roasts, etc. But, I think it's a personal preference thing. :) And, thanks for the recipe suggestion. I've heard of using pepperoncini in with slow-cooker beef, but have never tried it. Sounds yummy!

You have to clean things regardless of using a crockpot or the oven. What's the difference? You put your roast in a roasting pan, and have to clean >that<, don't you? People, if you don't care for the recipe, move along .. don't sit there and find all kinds of things that are wrong with it, or that you can't be bothered doing because it's "too much work". Why is everyone so judgmental these days???

I was thinking the same thing why are people looking at a crockpot recipe then complaining about it lol this lady was so nice to take her time to share this recipe with us.I personally think it is well worth the prep time.

I really don't know why people are complaining about any prep. It took me less than 20 minutes this morning and I didn't pre cut my veggies (minus the potatoes; I want mashed!). Looking forward to the smell of my apartment when I get home!! Thanks for the recipe!

Thanks for recipes. Dishes or not! Lately I've noticed so much negativity everywhere. I choose to be positive so try and ignore the negative. The slow cooker for me is the difference between a hot meal or a FAST food dinner. My family wants slower cooker so we can eat NOW. God bless.

My way is the easiest. Place uncooked pot roast in slow cooker with veggies all around/on top. Add 1 or 2 envelopes (depending upon size of roast and amount of veggies) of Knorr Leek Soup Mix. Add about 1/4 C water. Slow cook for about 9 hours. ENJOY!

Easiest isn't always best, especially when you're trying to control all of the additives that come in those packaged soup mixes. I much prefer working with spices that I get from the local farmer's market, that don't contain a bunch of chemicals with names that you can't pronounce! This recipe looks like I can do just that, and I appreciate you taking the time to post it!

I'm making this tomorrow as I drool every time I look at the picture. I was going to make it today but it's pancake Tuesday, so we must wait a day. I'm really drawn to this recipe because it doesn't use ranch mix, au jus mix, onion soup mix...etc...they have salt and chemicals that I don't need to add to my family's diet. I totally agree with many of the above comments....you did answer anonymous with grace and if you don't like the look of a recipe, move on....thousands of other ones to look at....I'll let you know how it turns out.

I made it. The changes were that I added mushrooms (because we love mushrooms) and I didn't add rosemary (we don't like rosemary). We liked it. Very good, will do it again. My dad came for dinner that night and he liked it too. Thanks for a great recipe.

I am getting ready to prep this meal now. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to slow-cook it today. Will it be okay to prep it, get it all in the crock pot today, refrigerate it and cook it tomorrow? Also, I am all out of Kosher Salt. How much sea salt or table salt should I use? Thanks!

Hi, Jillian. I am really not sure since I've never tried it. I honestly don't know how things work with searing the meat and veggies, then cooling them down in the fridge and then starting the slow cooker process in the morning. I really wish I could help more. If it works out for you, please let us know! :) As far as the salt goes, I have substituted table salt for kosher salt if I'm out. I usually use 3/4 teaspoon of table salt for every 1 teaspoon called for of kosher salt. That's my take ... I've heard before to cut the amount in half, however. You should be fine with a 1/2 teaspoon of table salt especially if the steak seasoning you use for this has salt in it.

Hi there, Dahlia. I know people cook pot roasts in Dutch Ovens all the time, but I just haven't tried this particular recipe in one myself. So, I'm hesitant to give you exact instructions or offer cooking times, etc. I did find a recipe from Martha Stewart that looks exceptional if you'd like to check it out.

http://www.marthastewart.com/332885/pot-roast

The recipe has a lot of similar ingredients to mine. It looks like it would take about 4 hours in the oven. Her recipe does not include making a gravy at the end, but I would think you could easily follow my instructions for making the gravy once you remove the roast from the oven.

YUMMY!!!! I am so trying this! Being an area manager and always on the road, this is perfect!!! I get home tired and just looking forward to smelling it when I walk in!!! Will make it this Saturday!!! :)

I made this recipe last week. I didn't have thyme or rosemary but it was amazing. It was the most delicious pot roast I have ever made. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the awesome recipe.

Want to try this this week. What kind of slow cooker do you use. It seems like mine always cooks things too fast. We have a Rival 5qt 120volt 220watts. It only has a 4 or 6 high or 8 or10 hour slow cook. Not sure what to use. Thanks

I have a few different ones. Yours should work just fine. If you are finding things are cooking too fast, just try this recipe on low. Normally, mine takes about 9 hours on low for this to cook perfectly, but if yours cooks quicker and runs hotter, maybe check it between 7 - 8 hours, then keep cooking if the meat isn't fall-apart tender just yet. :)

My husband bought a pot roast that the butcher cut in half which leaves us with 2-1.75lb cuts of meat. Could I just cook one on low for 4 hours or do you think it would take longer? Thanks for your help.

I would probably cut down the cooking time a bit, but I am not truly sure how much (maybe a couple of hours less???). I feed a larger family, so I never cook roasts quite that small. Hopefully, you can be home throughout the afternoon to just keep an eye on it the first time, then you would know for future times. :) Good luck!

I wouldn't use an eye or round if following this recipe ...I just find the eye or round roast to dry out when cooked this long ... there just isn't enough marbling and fat in my opinion. You could try shortening the cooking time if you'd like to see how it works out, though.

I usually try to make a new recipe in the slow cooker when I know I'll be home so that I can keep an eye on it since I know different slow cookers cook differently (runner hotter, etc.). So, that would be my recommendation if you can swing it ... plan for six hours and check if it's tender by then. Often, Sundays are a great day for a first-run of a recipe since usually the whole family is home, so eating time is kind of flexible (eat when dinner is ready). I know that's not always possible for everyone, however. If you can't be home, I would guess maybe around 7 hours ... I'm not sure six hours on low even with a hot-running slow cooker would be enough for a 3# roast to become fall-part tender. Best of luck and I hope you enjoy! :)

This recipe sounds great. I have two questions: 1 - You said to sprinkle a third of the seasoning mix onto each side of the roast . . . so I would use a total of 2/3 of the mix?; 2 - You said to transfer the vegetables to the top of the roast . . . normally the vegetables are below the roast - just want to make sure this is not a typo. Thanks.

I sprinkle 1/3 of the seasoning onto EACH side of the roast (for a total of 2/3 of the seasoning for the roast), then I use the remaining 1/3 seasoning mix for the veggies. I choose to put the veggies on top, but if you prefer them on the bottom, I'm sure it would be fine. I just find that the meat stays juicer this way and the potatoes don't get super water-logged when they are on the top. But, it's just a preference thing. :)

This looks amazing. I love the extra step of searing the meat. For me, the use of the crockpot is more to do with coming home and having dinner done and less to do with "one pot". I love to get up in the morning, prep the meal, place in crockpot then clean up. When my family is in the car on the ride home after ball games, concerts and school events and ask for the "drive thru", I can cheerfully say dinner is done and waiting! Thank you for this stepped up crock pot recipe. It is so close to my recipe but with some really tasty changes. This is my first time to your blog and I love it!

Thank you for your comment, Marie. And, I'm so glad you're here on the blog and hope you find some tasty recipes for your family! I agree ... it is so satisfying to know that dinner is waiting at home at the end of a busy day or afternoon! :)

I believe it is a steak seasoning from Kroger's Private Selection's line if I recall. It comes in a grinder. In a pinch, you'd really just want to make sure you use kosher salt, black pepper and some garlic powder (maybe a 1/4 of the combined salt and pepper you use) along with the dried herbs. The paprika and parsley in the steak seasoning can be omitted if you're making a blend of your own actually. If you have any of the blend leftover, it can be saved for steaks on the grill, etc. in the future. :)

This was so over-the-top delicious....I'm stunned. Every pot roast I've every made was dry and bland. This had so much flavor! I added 3/4 cui costco malbec wine to the sauce at the end and cooked it down a bit. I also did not have carrots, celery or potatoes...but did have onions and mushrooms. Still can't get over how good it was.

since searing can sometimes be messy with the oil splattering and i don't feel like cleanup in the morning before work, and since i could prep the veggies the night before, do you think i could sear the roast the night before too? i've never tried that and just thought, hey maybe that would? your thoughts?

I believe it is a steak seasoning from Kroger's Private Selection's line if I recall that I typically use for this. It comes in a grinder for just a few bucks. In a pinch, you'd really just want to make sure you use kosher salt, black pepper and some garlic powder (maybe a 1/4 of the combined salt and pepper you use) along with the dried herbs called for. The paprika and parsley in the steak seasoning can be omitted if you're making a blend of your own and don't have those on hand ... the important ones to include are the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Any store-bought steak seasoning would work fine if you would just like to purchase it instead of making your own.

I know it can take sometimes a little time (like up to ten seconds) for the page to load once that button is clicked. But, I just tested both the green print button and the littler one below that ... and both worked on my end. :)

Can't wait to try this out. I see so many crock pot recipes I can't try because they take 8 hours tops, and it's just over 9 hours with drive time to work and back, so this one might find itself on the staple list.

Thanks for the awesome recipe! I have been looking for something different than the mushroom soup and onion soup mix. This was definitely a hit esp with my two picky eaters . One problem, you didn't warn me how hungry I would be having to smell the deliciousness all day haha. My prep time was 15min including cutting veggie . Thanks again for sharing.

Hi there! I just made this pot roast today and have to say it was very good but a bit too salty. When I make it again, and I will, I am just going to omit the tablespoon of kosher salt. My Montreal steak spice has enough salt. I also didn't have time to sauté the veggies this morning so just tossed them with the olive oil and spices and threw them in the crockpot. DELISH!!

HI, CynStew. Yes, I would imagine if your steak seasoning has a good dose of salt already in it, you could overkill a bit with adding even more salt. So sorry you had issues, but glad you still enjoyed the recipe. And, I hope your next go-round with it turns out perfect for you! :)

Wth people. So you have a different recipe. Good for you. So you prefer to make roast in the oven. Good for your. But the comments don't need to be a "my recipe is better than your recipe" contest. If you have a question, comment, or helpful suggestion on the actual recipe...I'm pretty sure that's what this space is for. I like this recipe for the fact that it doesn't use any condensed soup or seasoning envelopes full of additives. And many recipes suggest browning meat before putting it in the crock pot. I don't think you HAVE to. This took me little time at all to prepare. I used baby carrots and small whole gold potatoes with peels on. But as the post suggests, you could also pre-cut veggies and pre-season meat. ANd skip the searing if you wish. Many people like crockpot recipes vs oven recipes for a roast because they are very busy or perhaps work and aren't home at all. Also, I too think meat in the crockpot comes out more moist and tender. But if you prefer the good old fashioned oven....fantastic. Skip the crockpot recipes and move on. There are probably thousands of recipes and many different preparation methods for roast. She is just sharing hers. Mine is cooking in the crockpot now and smells wonderful. I can't wait to try it this evening. I LOVE that it isn't full of pre-packaged foods and doesn't require a stick of butter!

Thank you for your words ... sometimes it is nice to hear other's suggestions. But, you are right - this is simply my preferred way to prepare roast and I love knowing that others have come to enjoy this recipe, too. :) And, yes, I, too, like that it doesn't have canned soup or seasoning packets loaded with additives, etc. Hope you enjoy the results later this evening and thanks for commenting. :)

I am trying this today! The pot roast is in the crock pot, I can't wait! I was wondering though, it only requires 1 cup of beef broth, how much gravy will this yield? If I want more gravy, can I add more beef broth to the pot? Thank you!

Certainly if you'd like a little more gravy, you can add in more beef broth. You just may need a little additional cornstarch to thicken it up. :) I find that the recipe yields the perfect amount for my family, but I know some people like lots and lots of gravy ... so, go for it! :) Just add a little more broth in the pot on the stove top (be sure it comes up to temp) if you think you won't have enough gravy. Thanks for the question.

At what point during the cooking process should I flip the meat, if ever? I'm afraid that if I stir the entire crockpot, the potatoes and veggies on the bottom will get too mushy. Thank you in advance!

I made this today. It was definitely worth the extra work! My kind of picky nine year old couldn't stop raving about it. I don't know if she ate anything else (I know not the veggies), but she got her fill of this delicious pot roast. No matter how I try to make pot roast, it often comes out tasting just the same as the time before. This recipe takes ho-hum to "who can I invite to dinner to taste this goodness!" Thanks!

Boooo ... that stinks, Libby. Must be the week for slow cooker issues ... my handle broke right off of my lid yesterday. Granted, I was able to glue it back on and all is well. Glass everywhere in your food? That is a real bummer. :( I do hope you get the chance to try the recipe again. Can you contact the company and see if they'll replace the lid or at least if they have one to order instead of buying an entire new slow cooker?

I made this for dinner yesterday. Both my husband and I loved it. I have another crockpot recipe that I use and it is pretty good. My husband says he likes this one better so it is a keeper. It truly does melt in your mouth!! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I will make it again and again!

Just now able to respond to your comment about using a frozen roast ... sorry. I have never tried it, so I really can't advise as to how to it would turn out, the cooking time or tenderness, etc. If you did try it, please let us know so others will have the knowledge - one way or another. Thanks!

Found this recipe and made for tonight's dinner. Just might be one of the best roast's I've ever made! Very tasty. Certainly didn't need a knife to cut the meat. I will definitely make this again. Thank you.

I really wanted to like this roast. I was excited to try it however I feel that the amount of rosemary used in this dish ruined it. I tasted it as I was thickening the sauce and the rosemary was all I could taste. I tried to add more beef stock/broth and that did almost nothing. It was so overpowering that I washed all the sauce off of the meat and potatoes and used something else as a sauce. My recommendation to anyone reading this is use the rosemary sparingly.

So sorry to hear that you had issues with the strength of the rosemary in the dish. Maybe you just had a potent batch of rosemary. ;) Perhaps if you ever wanted to try the recipe in the future you could simply lessen the amount or omit it completely. I'm sure it would be just as good without any rosemary if that was your preference.

Tonight I heard the magical words I almost never hear from my picky 11 year old son: "Mom, this tastes AWESOME!". Dinner was great, thanks to this recipe. Luckily, I have some left over for lunch tomorrow.

Making this right now for our monthly family dinner! Used different seasonings that had lemon in it, but followed the rest of your directions! It's just about ready to pull out & it smells SOOOOO good! Thank you for sharing your recipe! :)

i used your recipe a few days ago--even my picky-eater young children gobbled it up! it was so soft and moist i had to make myself stop picking at the left over meat as i tried to put it into the fridge!

I found this recipe about a year ago and made it. I have probably made it at least 10 times since then. As I said then, it was the most delicious pot roast I ever had and still agree. As for the prep time, I brown the roast while getting the veggies together. It really doesn't take that long and the outcome is amazing! ☺

Why do people comment that a recipe "looks delicious, I might try it?" or bitch about some part of the recipe and they haven't even used it? Get a life, are they so desperate to fill their voids they have to make inane comments? I tried this recipe and it was very good. Thank you for your posting.

I am not a good cook at all, and do not enjoy cooking "at all". I loved that this was all fresh ingredients, very easy to make and came out delicious. I impressed my family thanks to you. The only thing is I could not get my sauce to thicken.... but still delicious... thank you for posting...

I just made this tonight and my husband said it was amazing! I must admit... it really was! So much flavor! I paired it with macaroni and cheese along with green beans!!! Thanks so much for the recipe! Definitely a family favorite now!!! :)

I have never had an issue with it being overly mushy ... and I don't recall any negative feedback from readers about that being an issue. Seems to work out fine. :) It IS on low ... so unless your slow cooker runs on the overly hot side, veggies come out great.

I made this today and it was WONDERFUL. I cooked it on HIGH and it was done in 4 hours. It wasn't fall apart texture, but quite, quite tender (the way we like it). I used Montreal Steak Seasoning (that's all I had) and by mistake used dried Thyme and ground Thyme. When looking through my cupboard looking for Rosemary, I assumed when I found the ground Thyme, that it was what I was looking for. So during the cooking process, I would lift the lid to baste some liquid on the vegetables and I couldn't resist taking a taste of one of the veggies. This is when I discovered my mistake. Also, discovered that the steak seasoning said SPICY on the bottle. I said "too bad" to my husband, because I like spicy anyway. At about 4 hours, I decided to check on the roast to see how spicy it would end up - that's when I discovered it was done plenty for us AND it wasn't as spicy as the veggies, but so GOOD. So I thickened the sauce and served. We loved it even with the 2 mistakes. I won't make it again with the double amount of Thyme and I will probably not use the "spicy" version of the steak seasoning. I feel the searing of the meat and rest of the process totally added to it's goodness. One thing I did different, I poured and heated one can of beef broth into the skillet after removing the vegetables to deglaze it and get every last morsel out of that pan. Thanks for posting this. I'll NEVER make it in the oven again. I've been married over 40 years and my hubby agrees it came out great.

Oh, bless you for enduring through the "mistakes" you say that you made ... but, I am glad the result still was sucessful for you. I am so happy to hear you that still enjoyed the recipe and will utilize it again. Thank you.

I made this for dinner last night and it was THE BEST roast recipe I've had! My husband loved it, too! It was easy to prepare and I paired it with some sweet cornbread muffins.Yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

I'm a single woman who has never cared much about cooking in my entire life -- that is until I was thrust into a caregiver role as my mother fights advanced cancer. My mom requested Crock Pot roast and I panicked and searched for recipes on Pinterest. I chose this one because the directions were easy to follow. When it came time to prepare, I had to wake my mom up because I didn't know how to cut potatoes right (haha true story). Anyway, even though she's going through chemo for the second time in two years, we got to laugh as she taught her adult daughter how to cut veggies correctly. These are moments I'll forever cherish. I just want to say thank you for sharing your recipe with us as it deeply touched us today. The preparation didn't take long and it was enjoyable and fun to prepare! I can't imagine that tossing it in the oven or using the premade mix would have been quite the same experience! The slow cooker is now on and I'll let you know how it comes out. Regardless, food is more than just about the final product. As you know, it's about the process and memories created with family along the way! Thank you for all you do, taking time to share your recipes and making it an easy process. You have a gift and sure blessed us today!

Your comment touched my heart and I am so thrilled to hear about your cooking experience with your sweet mother this morning. Your comment brought tears to my eyes and yet a smile to my face. Blessings to you both!

I made this for dinner tonight and all I can say is WOW, it was absolutely delicious!I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a try as I had all the ingredients in. All day my house has smelt amazing with all the lovely flavours cooking away and I couldn't wait to try it. Even my partner loved it and he is always skeptical when I try new things. The only thing I did differently was take the potatoes out of the slow cooker about an hour before serving and put them in the oven to go crispy.This is definitely going to become a regular in our house!

Hi, I'm going to try out your recipe tonight in a crockpot as my roasts in the oven always come out tough and dry. However, I am wondering what you think about replacing the beef broth with red wine. Have you ever tried that?

Hi there. I have used red wine in other types of roastS and beef stews, but I have not tried it in this particular recipe. I personally would not substitute the entire amount of beef broth with red wine, but I think it might add some good flavor if you want to add a splash or two of red wine in with the beef broth. But the great thing about cooking is that you can totally adapt things to your own personal taste ... so if you want to try it with all wine, then I say go for it! :)

Just finished making this to take to my parents who are 88 and 92. Need good meals that I can make and freeze in serving size containers for them to fix for themselves. It turned out great !!! Thanks ;-)

Just made this tonight. Didn't change a thing and it was amazing! The meat was tender and the gravy is delicious. I'm not a fan of cooked carrots but I devoured these. I will be making this again and again. Great recipe! Thanks so much!

I made this yesterday and it was wonderful. I used wildtree's rancher steak rub because that is what I had on hand. I have to watch my sodium intake I used only a pinch of salt. It got rave reviews from my family and will go on the make again list!

Was looking for a recipe this morning to do my roast and came across this one first, and I didn't have to go any further, this one sounded soooo good. I love the idea of doing the veggies in the fry pan first. My kitchen smells so wonderful and I just turned the crockpot on! Thanks! Can't wait to try it tonight.

This is by far the best pot roast recipe ever! I forgot about the beef stock so I just used water - still perfect! I also didn't sear the meat and saute the veggies....still perfect! I can't wait to make this again! The entire family devoured it!

Wow! This turned out SO good!!! First time making a pot roast and will now be my go - to recipe. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing it with us, I will be checking out more of your recipes :-)